Chapter Text
"You're not happy about this."
Sabo and Ace were lying on the deck of the Little Moby while the ship was heading back to the New World. It was a sunny day and they were enjoying it. Ace didn't need to ask what Sabo was referring to.
"It's not like that," he replied. "I'm happy for Luffy. He needs to become a lot stronger to survive and there’s no doubt Rayleigh is the ideal trainer."
"Still, you would have preferred someone else."
"Yes. No." Ace groaned. "I mean, it's not even his fault. I spent years freeing myself from my father's life, and I only just accepted people actually finding me important for myself and not just because of him." And no, Ace wasn't flattered by it either. "But Rayleigh is strong, so good for Luffy. I don't have to be his friend though." Then he smiled. "Plus, we'll be training under the strongest man in the world, so..."
Of course they wouldn't remain the same while their little brother was training to become stronger. Besides, Sabo's ego was still hurt by his loss against Teach; who was still free to roam around and maybe still had intentions to capture Ace again. They would be ready. Pops and the others were more than eager to become their trainers.
Sabo smiled. "I made a decision," he affirmed then, serious.
"What decision?"
"About what to do when Pops dies."
"Don't say that!"
"Well, it's not that I want that!" Sabo replied, offended. "But... all these events made me realize just how old Pops is. He's gonna die one day and there's nothing we can do."
Despite how much Ace would like to deny it, he had to agree with Sabo. When he saw Pops after he was rescued, he hadn’t looked at all like the strongest man in the world, but just like an old man who got tired every time he did something. Age was their biggest enemy.
"Well, I can't die until he becomes King of the Pirates."
"Right, so Luffy will defeat him." Sabo laughed.
"Yeah, sure." It was absurd just to think about it, but Ace wanted Luffy to become the King of the Pirates, but it was hard imagining Luffy as stronger than Pops, or any of the other Emperors. Still, it couldn't be helped, since Luffy was his little brother. He would never stop seeing him in that way. "You still have a decision to tell me."
Sabo nodded. "I won't stop to being a pirate. When Pops die, I'll make my own crew and keep being a pirate. Maybe some of the others will come with me, but I'd like to have my own comrades and become the captain I was dreaming of in the past... and write my book."
For a while, Ace remained silent. Right now, he found it difficult imagining a life without Pops and the others, but he saw Sabo's point. A pirate crew depended on his captain. The Whitebeard Pirates wouldn't exist anymore without Pops. But stop being a pirate? No way.
"Maybe I'll do the same," Ace said at last. "King, Regina, Jack... they'll probably join me." He remembered with pleasure his time with the Spades Pirates. He would miss Marco and the others, but if they retired from the pirate life he would let them go. "But I hope it won't be any time in the near future." And he laid down again next to Sabo.
"Yeah." Sabo smiled. "I don't mind remaining the little brother for now."
After seven years of being Luffy's big brother, who right now was big enough to even save them, Ace couldn't help but agree. "Me neither."